


it takes a village

by emrys (livingshitpost)



Category: Star Wars - All Media Types, Star Wars Prequel Trilogy, Star Wars: The Clone Wars (2008) - All Media Types
Genre: Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Alternate Universe - No Powers, Anakin Skywalker Needs a Hug, Anakin Skywalker is a Little Shit, Babies, Brotherly Love, Canon Disabled Character, Canonical Character Death, Family, Family Dynamics, Gen, Hugs, Human Disaster Anakin Skywalker, Modern Era, No Incest, Past Character Death, Past Padmé Amidala/Anakin Skywalker, Prosthesis, Protective Anakin Skywalker, Sibling Love, Single Parent Anakin Skywalker, Single Parents, Step-Brothers, Step-siblings, Team as Family, Twins, Unconventional Families, anyway [slaps this up n passes out], i need . more manbun anakin, obi-wan stages an intervention, rex is a lil ooc bt it's fine
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-02-18
Updated: 2020-02-18
Packaged: 2021-02-27 21:54:14
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,150
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22782859
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/livingshitpost/pseuds/emrys
Summary: Obi-Wan doesn't bother knocking on the door to his little brother's apartment.There are dark circles under his dull blue eyes, shining with tears, and his hair is falling from its loose bun. He holds a screaming infant in his arms, swaddled in pale green.
Relationships: CC-2224 | Cody & CT-7567 | Rex, CC-2224 | Cody/Obi-Wan Kenobi, CT-7567 | Rex & Anakin Skywalker, Leia Organa & Anakin Skywalker & Luke Skywalker, Obi-Wan Kenobi & Anakin Skywalker, Obi-Wan Kenobi & Leia Organa & Anakin Skywalker & Luke Skywalker
Comments: 24
Kudos: 632





	it takes a village

**Author's Note:**

  * Inspired by [Respite](https://archiveofourown.org/works/18288656) by [emrys (livingshitpost)](https://archiveofourown.org/users/livingshitpost/pseuds/emrys). 



> sometimes a family is a man n his twins n his stepbrother n his (step-(?))brother in law n his (step-(?))brother in law's twin n i think tht's beautiful

Obi-Wan doesn't bother knocking on the door to his little brother's apartment. He just opens it up, looking at the younger man with pity in his eyes. 

"Anakin," he calls out from the door.

Anakin looks up. There are dark circles under his dull blue eyes, shining with tears, and his hair is falling from its loose bun. He holds a screaming infant in his arms, swaddled in pale green.

"Obi-Wan." There's no use trying to disguise the relief in his voice. "What are you doing here?"

"Isn't it obvious?" He crosses the room and lifts the other baby, this one wrapped in purple, from the floor. "Hello, Leia."

Cody follows close behind, gently taking the green bundle from Anakin's grasp. "It's okay, _ad'ika_. It's alright. Uncle Cody's got'cha now." He chuckles. "Little guy's got quite the set of lungs, huh?"

Anakin manages a laugh. He hugs his own arms. "I think they got that from me," he says sheepishly. He pauses when he catches sight of Rex balancing a large cardboard box on one shoulder, shutting the door with his other hand. "Rex, lemme-"

"Siddown, Skywalker." Rex smirks. "We've got this under control."

Anakin reflexively flops down on the couch, then starts to get to his feet. "Really, I-"

Cody glares at him. "You stay there," he warns. "It's twin time."

Rex rolls his eyes as he drops the box on the coffee table, then takes Leia from Obi-Wan and bounces her gently. "You're really gonna call it that?"

"I really am. We're all twins here."

"They aren't." Cody gestures with his head to Anakin, still on the couch, and Obi-Wan, putting on a pot of water in the kitchen.

"I wasn't talking about them." Rex playfully kicks his brother in the shin as the two of them head off to the nursery.

Anakin sits there quietly for a moment. He gets to his feet slowly, as though unsure if he's allowed. "What's this about?" He asks his brother.

"This is about you needing help," Obi-Wan replies cooly. He smiles at the younger man. "And me knowing two men who are not only more than willing to do so, but far more experienced individually than we are put together." He nods in the direction of the kitchen table. Anakin sits down.

"Obi-Wan, I appreciate the-"

"You're not getting out of this, Anakin," Obi-Wan interrupts. "You've been running yourself ragged. You haven't had a solid night's rest in weeks. Your apartment's a mess." He sniffs. "And when was the last time you showered?"

Anakin reddens slightly. "That's life with twins," he says with a weak laugh.

Obi-Wan looks at Anakin for a long moment. "It's alright if you need help," he says softly. "It's completely understandable. It's hard enough being a first-time parent, but with twins? And doing it _alone_?" He sighs through his nose, thinking, as he pours cups of tea for both of them.

Anakin tenses. 

"Don't think I don't believe in you, Anakin. I do. You're one of the most stubborn men I've ever met." Obi-Wan sits diagonally across from his brother and hands him a cup of tea. "I watched you overcome every obstacle that came with losing your arms and legs with creativity and innovation I know I couldn't hope to achieve. Watched you get into MIT, and then _turn it down_ so you could pursue prosthetics." He laughed. "I watched you stay up for hours on end going over your wife's lesson plans with her when you had your own papers due."

Anakin smiles faintly into his cup. "Did you rehearse that before you barged in here?"

Obi-Wan rolls his eyes. "I have anxiety, Anakin. I rehearse everything."

Anakin laughs. He takes a sip of his tea. "Classic Benjamin."

Obi-Wan puts a hand on Anakin's shoulder, and he looks up. His older brother's smile is sincere. 

"She would be so proud of you, Anakin," he says softly. "But she would want you to take care of yourself, as well."

Something catches in the younger man's throat. He wipes his eyes on his sleeve. "What if I-?" His voice breaks. He sighs, shaking. "What if I'm not good enough for them?"

"You are," Obi-Wan assures him. "And you're not alone. I'm right here, as are Cody and Rex. And they've only got, what, seventy brothers?"

"Sounds like a low estimate."

"Exactly. So there are plenty more people we can easily rope into helping out with the twins." He reaches forward to tousle Anakin's hair. "You _will_ get through this, even if you do just as much screaming as your children."

Anakin smiles. He blinks away tears. "You really think she'd be proud of me?"

"They both would." Obi-Wan leans back in his chair. "I know I am."

"That's not much. You once told Qui-Gon you were proud of him for getting remarried."

"I'd watched him wallow in his lonliness for eight years; it was a pivotal moment in his life." Obi-Wan chuckles. "And it gave me you for a baby brother."

"I'm a grown-ass man."

"You're still more than a decade younger than me."

"It's not hard; you're old as balls."

Obi-Wan laughs. "Fatherhood has not made you any less of an asshole, has it?"

Anakin shrugs. "Not really." He goes to take another sip of his tea, then pauses. "The twins stopped crying," he notes. He stands, his tea forgotten, and heads to the nursery to find Cody and Rex sitting on the floor. Each brother holds a twin, with Luke asleep in Cody's arms and Leia flapping her arms as she smiles up at Rex. Cody sings softly in Mando'a, and Rex seems to be having a one-sided conversation.

"Holy shit," Anakin breathes. "I'm gonna steal your husband."

"You can have Rex," Obi-Wan replies under his breath. "Cody is mine. Don't you dare forget that." He smiles warmly. "He's been trying to convince me to consider adoption. Maybe Luke and Leia can tide him over."

"No way in hell," Cody says gently. "This is just makin' it worse."

Obi-Wan rolls his eyes. "Of course it is."

"And if we don't adopt a kid, I at least want a dog."

"Of course you do."

"Either way, you should name 'em missile launcher."

"Rex, that's why you're not allowed to have kids of your own."

"Nah; I'd call my kid Concrete. Connie for short. Or Connor. Whichever."

"You sound like Fives."

"Couchsurfing does that."

Obi-Wan puts his head in one hand, but can't hide his smile from his brother as he turns into the hallway and laughs as quietly as he can. He gestures for Anakin to follow him.

"Cody wanted you to have these," he says, opening the box on the coffee table. "They're from when Tup and Dogma were kids. There's books, toys, some clothes . . ."

Anakin pulls Obi-Wan into a hug. 

"Thank you," he whispers. "For everything."

Obi-Wan hugs him back. "Of course."


End file.
